Celebrity Solstice | Alaskan Dawes Glacier Cruise - July 2023 Trip Report
It’s no surprise that I am a big fan of cruising and try to experience a variety of cruises in order to best advise my clients. Most of the time for me, traveling includes a healthy mix of work and play, and that includes trying out excursions, working from my balcony, taking ship videos and photos, and reviewing entertainment, onboard activities, and more.
This trip, though, was a little bit different. This was an opportunity for my husband and I to finally celebrate our ten year anniversary— three years late. We were married in July of 2010 and had big plans to cruise the Caribbean on the Celebrity Edge in July 2020. Well, we know what happened then… and with life and change and expanding our family, our anniversary celebrations of the last three years were a little more low-key. We had not traveled more than a night or two away since having kids, and since we recently moved back home to be closer to our community & family, we had the opportunity to do just that: Take a seven night cruise together— just the two of us.
Since these opportunities can be few and far between, I didn’t want to spend the entire vacation working or running around the ship, phone and notepad in hand, immersed in learning everything I can to share later on with my clients. Instead, I intentionally put the phone and computer down, took photos and videos when I remembered, and soaked up the opportunity to be fully present with my husband and to reconnect and remember who we were first— as individual people and as husband and wife.
On sea days, it was luxurious to sleep in… have breakfast in bed, take long walks along the top deck, read on deck 14 for hours with no plans, and get dressed up for dinner. On port days, it was energizing to prep for the day with our rain jackets, tennis shoes, backpacks, and ready for the oxygen and salt air that would be greeting us when we stepped off the ship for whatever activity we had planned for the day.
Seven days away was perfect for us— we missed our boys and were ready to come home when we disembarked the ship, but we sure did relish the time we had together. So, while this trip report may not have as many ship photos or details as I normally would have, I hope it conveys the heartfelt message that a cruise to Alaska should absolutely be next on your list of travel plans— you will not be disappointed!
Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice
Cruise Itinerary: Roundtrip embarkation and disembarkation from Seattle, Washington and cruising the Inside Passage; visiting Ketchikan, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; cruising through the Dawes Glacier and Endicott Arm Fjords; Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and Juneau, Alaska.
Travel dates: July 14th - 21st, 2023
Stateroom category: Oceanview stateroom with verandah, room 7118
Embarkation Process
Our embarkation was tremendously smooth! We are used to very long lines when sailing from Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale, but this embarkation was a breeze. We are local in the Pacific Northwest, so we drove up to Seattle from Portland, Oregon which took about 3.5 hours. My only regret was not staying overnight in Seattle the night before. I underestimated the traffic we would encounter along I-5 when leaving Portland and entering Tacoma, which delayed us an extra hour. Once we arrived to Pier 91, where Celebrity and Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships dock in the Puget Sound, we parked our car in the self-parking lot, rode the complimentary shuttle, and {nearly} walked right on board around 1:30pm. Our stateroom was ready and we chose to carry our own luggage on board so we could started unpacking right away. The sooner we got our “chores” done (like making our specialty dining reservations and activating our Wifi package) the sooner we could relax and have fun!
We were fortunate that the weather in Seattle was stunningly gorgeous— not a cloud in site and the bright blue waters sparkled in front of us. We had an incredible view of the skyline as well, with Pike Market and the Space Needle dotting the horizon. Deck 14 was home to the Oceanview Cafe, which is where the global buffet was offered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Unlike some other cruise lines I’ve been on, I was pleasantly surprised during this cruise with the rotation of options available, including the hours the buffet could be accessed. There were plenty of options for food throughout the entire sailing virtually every hour of the day!
Specialty Dining & Other Restaurants on Board
Celebrity Cruise Line {technically} has three main dining rooms, though access to each is exclusive to what stateroom category you may be sailing in. On all Edge class ships and through revitalization of their Solstice class ships, Celebrity has added a new category called “The Retreat,” which gives guests staying in those suites complimentary wifi, prepaid gratuities, premium drink packages, onboard credit, and access to exclusive restaurants and lounges such as Luminae and Michael’s Club. Below that, guests staying in the “AquaClass” category of staterooms experience a full service wellness experience. Included benefits when staying in AquaClass is access to the exclusive dining room called Blu, as well as access to the Sea Thermal Suite (known as the Persian Garden on Solstice and Millennium Class Ships).
If you’re not staying in The Retreat or AquaClass staterooms, the main dining room on a Solstice class ship (Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Reflection, or Celebrity Eclipse), is available for all other guests who can choose a fixed dining time, or a flexible dining time called My Time Dining. Having stayed in AquaClass our last two sailings with Celebrity and never eating outside of Blu, we decided to give the Main Dining a try for this cruise, as well as purchase a specialty dining package since we had not experienced any of the additional smaller, specialty restaurants on board any Celebrity Cruise (Blu is just THAT good!).
On the Celebrity Solstice, there are four different specialty dining restaurants in addition to the Oceanview Cafe (buffet), smaller cafes (Spa Cafe, Cafe al Bacio), and the main dining areas (Luminae, Blu, and Grand Epernay):
We ended up making reservations on three nights for Murano and two nights for Tuscan Grille. The menus don’t change at these restaurants like they do each night in the main dining room, and one tip I learned is to make a reservation early at Le Petite Chef— before sailing— or getting on board early enough on embarkation day to get a better dining time. We could only get an 8:30pm table on one of our last nights at sea and we were going to be out too long exploring Victoria to make that time, so we opted to skip Le Petite Chef this sailing (even though I’ve heard it’s great). Next time!
Both specialty restaurants were tied for us in which we thought was better. Murano was heads and shoulders above Tuscan Grille in terms of food presentation and flavor, but the dining room and views at Tuscan Grille far exceed Murano. Tuscan Grille is located at the aft of the ship so you can watch sunsets or other beautiful views if you’re lucky to have a window-side table. We had excellent service at both restaurants and I would highly recommend a reservation at each restaurant during your sailing on the Solstice, unless you stay in AquaClass (Blu is also located towards the aft of the ship and has equally beautiful views and much better food overall). If you were only to choose one specialty restaurant to visit during your sailing, then I would recommend choosing Murano over Tuscan Grille simply because the menu options and tableside cooking of lobster, steak, and crepes were phenomenal.
Port Stops & Excursions
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is located along the Inside Passage near the Misty Fjords National Monument and is a prominent fishing town. It was a very cute place that I wish we had more time to explore! It was our first stop during our itinerary and we had a long kayaking adventure planned that took up most of our time in port. As soon as we got off the ship, we were picked up by bus and driven about thirty minutes to a base camp along the Knudsen Cove, and then took another 20 minute Zodiac Boat across the ocean to the remote Tatoosh Islands where we kayaked for two hours. The water was so clear, and we were fortunate to not encounter any rain during our visit. We saw multiple bald eagles, a sea lion, seals, deer, and other wildlife during the excursion. We had an amazing experience and celebrated our anniversary on this day as well. Upon returning back to the ship and talking to other guests, we heard that Ketchikan had some of the best hiking opportunities from the port that many people chose to experience in lieu of an excursion, so that will be something we’ll be looking into for next time.
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska is best known as a Gold-Rush-Era mining town and is also located along the Inside Passage. It was the smallest town we visited during our trip, and is also home to the historic White Pass Railroad, which is the most popular cruise excursion to experience. We skipped the train on this trip and instead chose a Tongass National Rainforst Adventure Hike. An adventure it was— we hiked straight up a mountain for over two hours utilizing rope pulls and did a lot of climbing in the process to reach the stunning vista point that was our reward for the experience. After our hike we walked throughout some of the shops within Skagway and
Dawes Glacier & Endicott Arm Cruising
On this day we were woken up early by jaw-dropping fjords and glacier chunks floating in turquoise blue water that we could see from our verandah stateroom as we approached the Dawes Glacier around 6:00am. We quickly bundled up in our coat, hat, gloves, and grabbed a hot cocoa on our way up so that we could take advantage of 360 degree views on the top deck of the cruise. We snagged a great spot on deck 15 and were rewarded with two hours to just soak in the smells, sights, and sounds of the Endicott Arm Fjords and their resplendent waterfalls and the magnificent Dawes Glacier. When the captain came on the intercom to wake us up so we did not miss the early morning experience, he encouraged us to bring our phones for a few photos but then put them away for the rest of the time. He said, “I can promise you that no photos or videos will do justice to the breathtaking views you’ll see by just being present and fully immersed in the moment. Don’t rob yourself of seeing it behind a lens. Take the photo, and then put the camera away from the rest of the time and soak it in.” We would later come to find out that our cruise set the record for being the closest ship to reach the glacier that cruising season due to favorable weather and less ice than what is typically found. We did take a few photos and videos, but really just stood at the base— captive to the beauty that surrounded us on all sides and pinching ourselves that we got to experience it firsthand.
Juneau, Alaska
Juneau is quite close to the Dawes Glacier, so after departing the glacier and slow cruising through the Endicott Arm Fjords, we approached Juneau and docked just after lunch for a stay the rest of the afternoon and evening. During this port stop we did a “Bikes, Brews, and Glacier View” excursion where we rode bikes throughout back roads and along Auke Lake, and then made our way to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center where we got to see the Mendenhall Glacier up close and personal before heading back. After we arrived back to Juneau, we enjoyed a beer tasting at the Alaska Fish & Chips Company at the Flight Deck. Several people decided to enjoy fresh fish & chips afterwards with views of the harbor, but we ended up going back to our stateroom to get ready for another specialty dinner reservation we had. It was an excellent day and I only wish we had more time to enjoy Juneau!
Victoria, British Columbia
Because Victoria, BC sees so much daily boat traffic with its ferries from Port Angeles and Seattle, cruise ships cannot come into the harbor until the last ferries have left for the day, so no matter what cruise line you’re on, you will very likely come into Victoria in the evening hours— sometime between 5pm - 8pm, and stay until around midnight. It’s a great opportunity to just walk downtown, or you can take a shuttle bus which is $15 per person. (Taxis and Ubers are avaialble, too). We decided to walk the 20 minutes to downtown as our ship docked at 5:30pm and it was a warm and beautiful night. I knew we would not have much time to do things like visit Beacon Hill Park, Butchart Gardens, the Royal BC Museum, Craigdarroch Castle, or have high tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel (just have to plan another time to come back!), so instead we just walked along Douglas street, the Fisherman’s Wharf, the Empress Hotel, go shopping a bit (not a trip to Canada without a purchase from Roots!), and then had an incredible dinner that I made advanced reservations for at Il Terrazzo, which was located in a back alley in downtown Victoria. The portions were huge and I only wish we would have realized this ahead of time because we were unable to take them back on the ship with us. We got so lucky with being able to sit outside (I requested this) because the inside did not have air conditioning and it was pretty warm inside. We sat beneath twinkle lights and amongst fresh flowers and it was comfortable and breezy— the perfect end to our time in Victoria and our cruise together. Once the sun set it was very cold— too cold, actually, to be able to walk back to the ship, so we caught a cab (they were plentiful) and got back on board around 10pm.
Onboard Activities and Amenities
Onboard the Celebrity Solstice, there are plenty of things to do each day— all of which can be viewed either on a detailed itinerary via the Celebrity Cruise app (which connects for free to shipboard wifi), or each night you’ll receive a printed itinerary that lists, hour by hour, each and every one of the options available to enjoy the next day— dining and shows included.
If you love trivia, there are dozens of opportunities to test your knowledge each day in friendly competitions. Enjoy gambling? The casino is open each night (except when docked), and during the day while at sea. Want to add to your home art collection? There are multiple art auctions on board, as well as glass blowing classes which were very popular. Would you like to improve your palate for tasting different beverages? The ship offers many different champagne tasting classes, cognac tasting classes, wine tasting classes, and more. There are multiple different options for evening entertainment— from stage production shows to live music in various locations, and each ship has its own spa or thermal suite for ultimate pampering. Or, if you just want to rest, relax, and go at your own pace, there are many different choices available for you to do so— and plentiful lounge chairs scattered throughout the top decks and in the solarium— which was our favorite spot to nap and read.
No matter how you like to travel, the Celebrity Solstice will have something for you to enjoy while on board.
Deck 15: Bocce ball & bowling, the Lawn Club, cabanas, Hot Glass Class, Movies on the Lawn
Deck 14: Oceanview Cafe, the Mast Grill, the Mast Bar, walking track, lounge chairs, Sky Observation Lounge, Conference rooms
Deck 12: Pools, hot tub, spa, fitness center, Persian Gardens, pool bar, lounge chairs, the Solarium
Decks 11 - 6: Staterooms
Deck 5: Specialty dining such as Murano, Tuscan Grille, Blu, La Petite Chef, and Sushi on Five, Cafe al Bacio, Michael’s Club, Ensemble Lounge, art gallery, the Solstice Theatre, shopping, The World Class Bar
Deck 4: Grand Epernay Restaurant, Martini Bar, Luminae, Cellar Masters, Photo Gallery, shopping, Fortunes Casino, Quasar, Celebrity Central, Solstice Theatre, the Internet help desk
Deck 3: Guest relations, shore excursions desk, Solstice Theatre, Grand Epernay Restaurant, the Passport Bar
Deck 2: Onboard medical facilities
Distinctive Voyages Booking Benefits
When you book your cruise with a travel agent such as myself, you may be entitled to receive additional benefits beyond the $50 onboard credit that we offer each stateroom. These are called Distinctive Voyages sailings, and are only available on certain cruise lines and certain dates, which we know in advance as agents. My sailing happened to be a Distinctive Voyages sailing, so because I was booked on it and registered for those benefits, we received (at no extra cost) the following complimentary perks:
$50 Onboard Credit
Complimentary excursion in Juneau (we ended up going with the one we pre-purchased, but they had arranged a wonderful one for us that we would have done instead, had we not made other plans!)
Invitation to an exclusive sail away reception on the second night of our cruise
Complimentary champagne and private sail-away viewing from the ship’s helipad while we were in Skagway
Complimentary behind the scenes tour to meet with the production cast of each show and see their stage facilities first-hand
Our partnerships and alliances as travel agents help us to find the best options and benefits for you whenever possible— and our relationship with Travel Leaders and Distinctive Voyages is no exception! Getting to experience a DV sailing on my own was fantastic and is an opportunity I will continue to guide my clients to who choose to sail some of our participating cruise lines.
Overall we had an absolutely fantastic time sailing on the Solstice, and I would not hesitate to do it again! While this ship is one of the older ones in the fleet (built in 2008), they have done a wonderful job maintaining her integrity, and this itinerary is absolutely not one to be missed. If you’re thinking about an Alaskan Cruise next year, the Celebrity Edge will also be sailing, trading places with the Solstice (who will be sailing from Vancouver BC instead!).
Send me a message at hello@megansharesthemagic.com or by clicking the button below and let’s get started planning your voyage! All bookings will receive a $50 onboard credit, and certain sailings will receive extra amenities on board by booking directly with me as your travel agent!